Velocipede driving mechanism.



No. 65|,94l. Patented lune I9, 1900.

V A. F. w. J. van WEDEL.

VELOCIPEDE DRIVING MECHANISM.

(Application filed May 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST FRIEDRICH WILHELM JULIUS VON WEDEL, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNORTO GEORG STECI-IER, OF SAME PLACE.

VELOCIPEDE DRIVING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,941, dated June 19,1900.

Application filed May 16,1898. Serial No. 680,854. (No model.)

a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST FRIEDRICH WILHELM JULIUS VON WEDEL, a subjectof the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Hamburg, in theGerman Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVelocipede Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in velocipede driving mechanism,and has for its object the providing of an improved mechanism by meansof which the rider may help with his hands in propelling the vehicle, sothat the feet and hands together may be used for driving the velocipedeor similar vehicle in order to make hill-climbing easier or to obtain agreater speed with much less stress upon the rider.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In order that my iuvention may be fully understood, reference will bemade to the annexed drawings, in which like letters of reference referto like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fore part of a bicyclep rovided withmy improved hand driving mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a'view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification ofthe hand driving mechanism.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the front fork e is rotatablymounted in a well-known manner in the front tube n of the cycle-frame.In the head of the machine is a bearing d, in which is journaled acrankshaft f, carrying at each end a crank-arm at. These crank=arms a aare in the same radial plane and directly opposite each other and carryat their free ends crank-pins It. To these pins It are pivoted two armsa, (one at each side,) to the free ends of which is firmly attached thehandle-bar b. The handle-bar b and the arms 0 0 form, therefore, a rigidwhole-that is to say, a sort of handle-piece by meansof which thecrank-arms a. and the crank shaft, respectively, may be rotated when thesaid handlebar or handle bar piece I) c c is'operated by the rider, aswill be evident from the'drawings without further explanation. As thehandle-bar is plainly free, the operator is enabled to move it in such amanner as may suit him best, and as the greatest power may be appliedupon the handle-bar alternately by a pull and push the handle-bar willreceive from the rider a t0- and-fro motion.

The rotation applied to the crank-shaft f in the steering head and whichcarries a sprocket-wheel r is transmitted by means of a chain-gearing tothe sprocket-wheel r on an intermediate shaft .9, journaled in the crownof the front fork, and from this shafts (which carries a second sprocketr? by means of a chain and a sprocket T is transmitted to the hub of thefront wheel 1;, so that the handlebar may be used as a means to aid inpropelling the bicycle, besides the usual driving mechanism.

The chain-wheel r on the hub of the front wheel may be provided with asuitable ratchet coupling device, which automatically couples the huband the sprocket-wheel r when the latter is rotated in the properdirection to drive or assist the rotation of the front wheel 1; andwhich automatically uncouples the hub and sprocket-wheel as soon as thelatter stops. Consequently the hand driving mechanisrnSo may be set atrest at any time by simply holding the hands still or stopping themotion of the handle-bar.

The automatic coupling device is not shown in the drawings, as suchdevices are well 8 5 known and need, therefore, no particularexplanation.

In the modification shown by Fig. 3 the steering-head is provided with afork and the crank placed inside the said fork. For this go purpose thearms 6 of the fork are provided with bearings d, in which are journaledthe shafts or pivots f of the crank a. In the present case thehandle-bar b is provided with but one rigid arm 0, which is pivotallycon- 5 nected to the crank-pin 7c of the crank a. The sprocket-wheel ris firmly secured upon one of the shafts f. The operation and action ofthis modified hand driving mechanism is the same as the operation ofthatshown in Figs. 1 and 2. By comparing Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seenthat the shaft 8 and arms a,

Fig. 1, form a yoke-shaped element similar forth naledin the crown ofthe'front'fork, sprocketwheels on said shaft at either side of thecrown, a chain connecting the sprocket at the cranks with one at thecrown, and a second chain connecting the other sprocket at the crownwith one on inGUsT FRIEDRICH wiLHELM JULIUS VON WEDEL. Witnesses:

MAX LEMCKE, REINHARD OSTERMEYER.

the wheel, substantially as set

